Conduit liner construction



April 15, 1969 H. s. TONEY 3,433,475

1 counurr LINER CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 16. 1966 mvmrox. #525527 9. TO/YEX ATTOE/VEYS United States Patent 3,438,475 CONDUIT LINER CONSTRUCTION Herbert S. Toney, Munday, W. Va. (608 Elder St., Parkersburg, W. Va. 26101) Filed Dec. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 602,349 Int. Cl. B65g 11/16 US. Cl. 1932 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to protective liners for conduits or ducts through which hard or abrasive solid material is conveyed, and more particularly to an improved liner construction adapted to be employed in conduits or ducts through which granular solids, such as coal, or the like, are conveyed.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved liner construction for use in conduits or ducts through which solid granular abrasive or relatively hard material is conveyed, the purpose being to prevent erosion or wear on the duct or conduit, the improved liner construction involving relatively simple components, being easy to install, and having wear-resisting elements which are easy to replace, when required.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved liner construction for use internally in ducts or conduits through which relatively hard or abrasive solid material is conveyed, the liner construction involving very inexpensive components, being easy to maintain in efiicient and serviceable condition, and being arranged so that it can be readily adjusted to take care of a wide range of different working conditions, including varying different inclinations of conveyors or conduits in which the liner construction may be employed, and in accordance with the various different types of material being conveyed.

Further objects and advantages of the invnetion will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view, partly in vertical cross-section, of a square conduit provided with improved liner structure according to the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 3, but showing a different spacing between the baffle elements of the liner assembly.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 3, but showing the liner construction in a duct which is inclined away from the vertical.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing two different ways in which the bafile members may be supportingly-engaged in their associated mounting clips.

Referring to the drawing, 11 generally designates a conveyor conduit for solid material, such as coal or other relatively hard or abrasive granular material. The

3,43%,47 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 "ice conduit 11 is illustrated herein by way of example as being square, which represents a preferred cross-sectional shape particularly favorable for utilization of the liner structure presently to be described. However, as will become apparent, other cross-sectional shapes of conveyor conduits, such as conduits having generally circular crosssectional shapes, can be provided With and be protected by liner structures constructed in accordance with the present invention.

The square conveyor duct 11 is provided with the respective flat walls 12, and a flat liner plate 13 is secured in any suitable manner in a position closely adjacent to the inside surface of each wall 12. As shown in FIGURE 2, the plates 13 are substantially coextensive with the walls 12. Secured transversely to the liner plates 13 are uniformly spaced resilient clip members 14, the clip members comprising flat body portions and outwardly offset resilient leaf portions 16. The flat body portions 15 are rigidly secured in any suitable manner, such as by tack Welding, or the like, to the liner plates 13. The clip members 14 on the liner plates associated with the respective walls 12 are aligned horizontally, namely, are arranged so that the top edges of the leaf portions 16 thereof at a given level are all substantially in the same horizontal plane.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the resiliency of the leaf portions 16 biases them toward their associated liner plates 13 with substantial spring force. Designated at 17 are respective bafile members of angular shape having depending web portions 18 and having flange portions 19 which are at obtuse angles to the web portions 18. Baflle members 17 may be clampingly secured to the liner plates 13 by having their web portions 18 engaged between the clip leaf portions 16 and the liner plate 13, in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. Thus, the spacings between the bottom edges 20 of the web portions and the offset bends 21 of the next subjacent clip members are at least substantially equal to and preferably slightly larger than the height of the web portions 18. With this arrangement, a space is defined beneath each bottom edge 20 and the subjacent clip member leaf portion 16 which forms a seat to receive the web portion 18 of a baflle member 17. The baflle members 17 may thus be mounted in the successive clip members 14 in the manner illusrated in FIGURE 3. This relatively close spacing of the baflle members 17 may be desirable under certain conditions, depending upon the nature of the material being conveyed in the conduit or the orientation of the conduit. As shown in FIGURE 3, the purpose of the flange elements 19 of the baflle members 17 is to serve as trap means for collecting a suflicient quantity 23 of the loose material passing through the conduit to form a cushion extending between adjacent flanges 19. In order to protect the leaf portions 16 of the clip members 14 against abrasion, it is necessary that the cushion completely cover the leaf portion, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3. It has been found that such coverage can be obtained only when the baflle members are spaced so that a plane containing the outer edge of the flange 19 of one bafl'le member and the corner between the flange and Web of the next adjacent baffle member is at an angle to the flange of said one baffle member no greater than This rule holds true in the case of most of the solid materials conveyed through conduits employed for conveying coal, or similar relatively hard or abrasive material. Thus, in some cases, depending upon the nature of the material to be conveped, bafile members 17 need not be employed in successive clip members 14, but may be spaced in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4, wherein they are shown mounted in every second clip member. It will be seen that in this modified arrangement, shown in FIGURE 4, the plane 25 containing the outer edge of the flange 19 of a lower baflle member 17 and the corner 26 of upwardly adjacent baflie member 17 is at an angle to the flange 19 of the lower baflie member somewhat less than 90. This arrangement permits complete coverage of the clip members between adjacent baflie members by the loosened material passing through the conduit, thereby protecting the clip members and the associated wear plates 13 against abrasion.

Different orientations of the associated conduit may require different spacing of the bafile members 17. Thus, where the walls 12 are inclined away from the vertical, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 5, it may be necessary to employ baflie members 17 in each of the successive clip members 14 in order to insure complete coverage of the space between the flanges 19 by the loose material passing through the conduit.

As will be readily apparent, the baflle members 17 must be mounted so that they are angled in opposition to the direction of flow of the material passing through the conduit. For example, in FIGURE 3, the flanges 19 are inclined upwardly and to the right, in opposition to the downward flow of the material through the conduit. This insures that the baffle members 17 will be retained in their clips 14, as well as that a quantity of loosened material 23 will be trapped between the successive flanges 19.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the baflle members'17 may be mounted in their supporting clips 14- either by being inserted vertically in the clip members, namely, by slipping their web portions 18 directly into the space between the associated liner plate 13 and the resilient leaf portion 16 of the associated supporting clip 14, involving substantially transverse movement of web 18 into its seat, or alternatively, a baflle member 17 may be installed by sliding its web portion 18 longitudinally into the space between the associated leaf member 16 and wear plate 13. This involves endwise or longitudinal movement of the baflie member, as viewed in FIGURE 6. Where the baflle members are inserted by longitudinal or endwise movement, as above described, it is, of course, necessary to first mount the baflie members on their associated wear plates 13 and then install the wear plates, carrying the baflie members, in the conduit with which it is to be employed. With the first-described method of installation, namely, where the web portions 18 are slipped transversely into their seats, the baffle members may be installed after the wear plates 13 have been secured to the inside surfaces of the conduit walls.

In the typical embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the batfle members are straight and extend transversely across the liner plates 13, the ends of the flanges 19 being mitered, as shown at 30, at 45 angles so as to form mitered joints between the abutting end edges of adjoining flanges. This arrangement provides substantially complete or continuous baflle flanges around the interior periphery of the conduit.

The mitered configuration at the ends of the flanges 19, as shown in FIGURE 2, also permits easy replacement of the baflle members 17, as required, since the baflie members may thus be disengaged from their supporting clips 14 and replaced, the replacement of the bafile members being further facilitated by the resiliency of the clamping leaf members 16.

As previously mentioned, the liner structure may be readily adapted for use in conveyor conduits of other than rectangular or square cross-section, for example, in conduits having circular or round cross-section. Under these conditions, the clips 14 are curved or suitably spaced circumferentially to accommodate bafile members which have generally semicircular configurations so that a pair of opposing baflile members may be employed in diametrically opposite relationship at each level of retaining clips in the conduit.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved liner structure for a conduit intended to convey solid material have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a conveyor conduit for solid materials, a liner structure comprising liner plates secured to the inside wall surfaces of the conduit, a plurality of resilient clip members transversely secured to each liner plate at uniform spacings along its length, said clip members having resilient leaf portions biased toward the liner plate, and elongated batfle members interengaged with said clip members at regular spacings along said liner plate, each baffle member having a web portion clampingly received between the liner plate and a resilient leaf portion of a clip member and having a flange portion projecting angularly into the conduit from said web portion, the flange portions of successive baflle members being spaced apart sufficiently to trap loose solid material therebetween.

2. The liner structure of claim 1, and wherein said flange portions are at obtuse angles to said web portions.

3. The liner structure of claim 2, and wherein the conduit is substantially rectangular in cross-section and said liner plates are flat and are substantially coextensive with the respective inside wall surfaces of the conduit, said clip members and battle members being straight and extending transversely across the liner plates,

4. The liner structure of claim 1, and wherein the baflle members are spaced so that a plane containing the outer edge of the flange portion of one baflle member and the corner between the flange portion and web portion of the next adjacent baffle member is at an angle to the flange portion of said one baflie member no greater than 5. The liner structure of claim 1, and wherein the conduit is substantially square in cross-section and said liner plates are flat and are substantially coextensive with the respective inside wall surfaces of the conduit, said clip members and baflle members being straight and extending transversely across the liner plates, the ends of the flange portions of the 'baflle members being mitered at 45 angles so as to form mitered joints between the end edges of abutting flange portions.

6. The liner structure of claim 1, and wherein the clip members have body portions oflset inwardly relative to their leaf portions, said body portions being rigidly secured to the liner plates with spacings therebetween substantially equal to the heights of the web portions of the bafile members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 964,429 7/ 1910' Johnston 19332 3,085,669 4/1963 Leutz 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,001,186 1/1957 Germany.

ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner.-

U.S. c1. X.R. 30264 

